Charlie Update

Hello my friends.  Today is a gorgeous day on the beach.  I feel good and life is floatin' along on a warm sea breeze.  My attitude is better and I am mending. 

For those that don't know me....it's not such a big deal, just a freakin' MAN who left me for a redhead.  But it's in the past and I'm about over it.  I am dancing and dating and staying busy.

I have good news.  I had a Doc appointment this week.  I was a bit nervous but I had a great surprise.  My iron ferritin count went from 192 to 225.  Hot diggity damn.  It's working.

I am working on 7 years out.  I have dropped a dress size lately and am about 15 pounds from goal.  My iron dropped so low, I had an infusion.  I DO NOT want to do that again.  So I follow my 'iron rules' faithfully.

1. No multi vitamin or calcium supplement within 2 hours of iron..before or after.
2. No dairy products of any kind withing 2 hours of iron.  That means no yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, cheese, butter...nothing.
3. No coffee or tea within 2 hours.  It's the tannic acid, not the caffeine...so not even decaf.
4. Take iron with acid to give it the best possible chance to absorb.
5. Open the capsule or take it liquid form.

All in all, I am doing fine.  Still buying shoes....just a little sexier now. 

I am blessed beyond measure with friends and family.  And, as Kathy reminds me.....my fantastic little condo by the sea. 

I love you all and I promise I will be back posting every day. 

Hugs from the beach
Charlie

Charlie, so good to hear from you. I'm glad you had a great check up. My 1 year check up is coming up soon.
  I'm glad you are getting out and having some fun, you deserve it. We all have missed you on the board and we will be glad to see you back.
I wish I was at the beach. It would be nice about now.
Hugs,
Teresa M.

Teresa....thank you.  Good luck on the labs.  Make sure you always always always take your supplements.  I so rarely miss, and then it's because of 'outside forces', but I am back on track asap.

Keep a close watch on the iron, and ask for a copy of your labs....always.

Hugs
Charlie

Charlie,
I'm glad to hear you are doing better. Loss of a relationship is never easy. I think you have done splendidly.
Hang in there and don't be a stranger.
Blessings,
Karen

Karen....I am doing better.  I was married so long and now beginning to experience those life altering episodes that most women go through at a much younger age.  But I'm doing fine.....

Hugs
Charlie

A condo on the beach? Can I come visit? j/k    but that has always been my dream home... a little condo on the beach and walking in the sand for comfort. Smelling the breeze, ahhhh how serene. I am married to my soulmate now, but we had a hard time to go because of the divorces that both of us faced in past relationships. I am glad that god brought this man to me. I have read so much about you and feel like I know you already. You inspire me so much!! I looked at your profile pictures and took two of them and put them side by side and was just amazed at how great you look and the difference you have made in your life. I admire you for your strength and for your compassion. You are a true leader of souls and you don't even know it. You are humble and grateful and gracious beyond your means. I wanted to just tell you that and wish you a great day.
God Bless!!

Johnna....I don't know what to say.  What a wonderful uplifting post for me.  I don't see myself as a leader, no,  I see myself getting so much help and support from the people on OH.  It's why I'm here.  I might not post, but I read almost every day to see how everyone is doing.  It's my motivation and inspiration.  I don't think I would be where I am today without every post I've read and all the wonderful (and even not so wonderful) stories.

Come on down.  As a matter of fact, I am waiting now for Susan M from Texas to come back.  She is working a couple of hours away and come down to share my beach for a day and a half.  She had so much fun, she changed her ticket and took some vacation days and is now on her way back.  My beach is soothing and healing.  I'll be going over to walk when she gets here.

My door is always open.

Hugs
Charlie

Thanks!  I wish I could come visit.  Work, work, work. not time to rest. I need to make sure I take care of my job because right now my husband is unemployed. The company he worked for closed down and he is a year away from having his bachelors degree in accounting. We can't afford for him to continue his classes right now, unfortunately and he only has his associates in accounting (even thought he has two other associate degrees). No one seems to want to hire him and give him a chance because he doesn't have his CPA yet or years of experience. He has put himself through full-time classes online while working about 70 hours most weeks and he has a 3.9 GPA. He has struggled and tried so hard and is now 5 months without work (unemployement helps) but this man is so wonderful and now he is stressed to beat all. I pray and strive everyday to help him but, it has made me stressed to so, I come here every day for solice and strive to keep my weight going down. It can be so hard to keep on track amist of stress in our lives. I also agree that this site is the most wonderful place to come be with friends.
You and Susan have a great time!! Make a sandcastle for me

Charlie,
 It's sure is good to "hear" your voice on here. You are such an inspiration. You are one of the first people I talked to on here when I started my OH journey. I had surgery on Dec 17, and am finally doing well.

  I know you will continue to heal, it sounds like you are doing great. I have only taken my iron a couple of times. This will serve as a lesson to me. It is hard to get it in because of the restriction of when you can take it. I didn't know about the coffee and tea. My iron tablet is chewable..
See you are still teaching us and not realizing it!!!!!!  Does it hurt to have an iron infusion??

You take care and keep posting when you can. I have a lot of learning to do!!

Carolyn

Carolyn, thank you.  I am glad you are beginning to do well.  It does take time in the beginning to heal and learn how to navigate through this new way of life.  At where I am, no one can even guess I had surgery by the way I eat.  I now eat like a 'normal' person.  It's what we eat and the rules we break that cause us to regain the weight.  It's all about choices.  It all goes back to this:

If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got!

Iron infusions don't so much hurt, it's just an IV, and mine took 7 hours.  You are too early out to worry about iron right now.  I still have labs done every 3-4 months and keep track of everything.  As we get farther out, I think iron absorbtion becomes much more difficult.  Following my iron rules works for me.  We all absorb different of course, but its sure worth a try for those who are far enough out to start having iron trouble.  And it's NOT hemoglobin, or daily iron, it's the ferritin, or iron stores.  Just stay informed, and watch those labs.

Hugs
Charlie